1. Field
Embodiments relate to a user authentication method using a self-signed certificate of a web server.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a cloud computing environment, various resources connected to a network may be utilized by a client device connected to the same network.
By building web servers within electronic devices connected to a network, the electronic devices may be accessed and used via a web browser of a client device connected to the same network. In other words, when a user wants to access a desired electronic device, the user may access a web page for controlling the electronic device by inputting a corresponding IP address of the electronic device to a web browser of a client device.
The access of electronic devices via a web browser requires a safe user authentication method for providing services to certified users only. However, it is not easy to embody a safe user authentication method based on hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) communication. Furthermore, a method of generating HTTPs, which is a reliable channel, by employing a secure socket layer (SSL) in the HTTP communication and transferring authentication information requires to store certifications issued by a certificate authority in respective electronic devices, and thus the costs for issuing the certificates are incurred. Furthermore, although there is an HTTP-based authentication method using a challenge-response protocol, the method is designed by using an unsafe hash function, such as message-digest algorithm 5 (MD5).